Driving apparatus for multiplex-winding motor

Abstract

Provided are a current detection apparatus having sensor sections detecting motor currents flowing in the windings for the phases of the winding groups, a control apparatus calculating voltage instructions with respect to each winding group, based on the motor current detected by each sensor section, a voltage application apparatus applying voltage to each winding group, based on the voltage instructions, and a failure detection apparatus detecting whether or not each sensor section has failed. The control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates a voltage instruction with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, based on motor current with respect to another winding group detected by the sensor section that can normally detect current.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A driving apparatus for a multiplex-winding motor, the driving apparatus driving the multiplex-winding motor having a plurality of winding groups each including windings corresponding to a plurality of phases, the driving apparatus comprising:
 a current detection apparatus having sensor sections for detecting motor currents flowing in the windings for the phases of the plurality of winding groups; 
 a control apparatus for calculating voltage instructions with respect to each winding group, based on the motor current detected by each sensor section of the current detection apparatus; 
 a voltage application apparatus for applying voltage to each winding group, based on the voltage instructions; and 
 a failure detection apparatus individually detecting whether or not each sensor section of the current detection apparatus has failed, wherein 
 the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates a voltage instruction with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, based on motor current with respect to another winding group detected by the sensor section that can normally detect current. 
 
     
     
       2. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates motor current with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, based on motor current with respect to another winding group detected by the sensor section that can normally detect current. 
     
     
       3. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the multiplex-winding motor is configured such that the winding groups have a phase difference therebetween, and 
 the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates motor current with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, through conversion by the phase difference, based on motor current with respect to another winding group detected by the sensor section that can normally detect current. 
 
     
     
       4. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 2 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates motor current with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, based on motor current for another phase detected by the sensor section, of the sensor sections corresponding to the winding group, that can normally detect current, and on motor current detected by the sensor section, corresponding to each phase of another winding group, that can normally detect current. 
     
     
       5. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates a voltage instruction with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, based on a voltage instruction obtained based on motor current with respect to another winding group detected by the sensor section that can normally detect current. 
     
     
       6. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the multiplex-winding motor is configured such that the winding groups have a phase difference therebetween, and 
 the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates a voltage instruction with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, through conversion by the phase difference, based on a voltage instruction obtained based on motor current with respect to another winding group detected by the sensor section that can normally detect current. 
 
     
     
       7. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 5 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections, in accordance with the detection, calculates a voltage instruction with respect to the winding group corresponding to the failure of the sensor section, based on a voltage instruction obtained based on motor current for another phase detected by the sensor section, of the sensor sections corresponding to the winding group, that can normally detect current, and on a voltage instruction obtained based on motor current detected by the sensor section, corresponding to each phase of another winding group, that can normally detect current. 
     
     
       8. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of some of the sensor sections with respect to every winding group, determines whether or not the sensor section for each winding group has failed on a phase-by-phase basis, and calculates the voltage instruction, based on motor current for each phase, of all the winding groups, for which the sensor section does not fail. 
     
     
       9. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of all the sensor sections, calculates a voltage instruction with respect to each winding group, based on a driving condition of the multiplex-winding motor and a motor model of the multiplex-winding motor. 
     
     
       10. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus, when the failure detection apparatus has detected failure of all the sensor sections, stops the driving of the multiplex-winding motor. 
     
     
       11. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 1 , wherein the control apparatus, when only the sensor section for one phase of each winding group has failed in the current detection apparatus, calculates a voltage instruction for the one phase with respect to the winding group for which the sensor section has failed, based on motor currents for the other phases with respect to the winding group detected by the other sensor sections that do not fail, and determines that the sensor sections for the winding group can normally detect current. 
     
     
       12. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 11 , wherein the control apparatus, when the sensor section for detecting motor current for one phase with respect to at least one winding group has failed and all the sensor sections with respect to the other winding groups are normal, calculates motor current for the one phase corresponding to the failed sensor section, based on motor currents, of the winding group for which the sensor section has failed, detected by the normal sensor sections for the other phases for which the sensor sections do not fail. 
     
     
       13. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 11 , wherein the control apparatus, when the sensor section for detecting motor current for one phase has failed with respect to every winding group, calculates motor current for each phase of each winding group for which the sensor section has failed, based on motor currents of each winding group detected by the normal sensor sections for the other phases for which the sensor sections do not fail. 
     
     
       14. The driving apparatus for the multiplex-winding motor according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the control apparatus, when the sensor section for detecting motor current for one phase with respect to one winding group has failed and the sensor sections for two or more phases with respect to each of the other winding groups have failed,
 with respect to the one winding group, calculates motor current for the one phase corresponding to the failed sensor section, based on motor currents detected by the normal sensor sections for the other phases for which the sensor sections do not fail, and 
 with respect to the other winding groups, uses, for the phases for which the sensor sections do not fail, motor currents detected by the normal sensor sections, and uses, for the phases for which the sensor sections have failed, the motor current for the corresponding phase calculated with respect to the one winding group.